Simultaneous position switch



May 14, 1963 R. E. BRocK, JR

SIMULTANEOUS POSITION SWITCH Filed Nov. 21. 1961 IN V EN TOR. BRocK. JR.

RUSSELL E. W

United States Patent 3,089,924 SIMULTANEOUS POSITION SWITCH Russell E.Brock, Jr., 8 Chester Ave., Rome, Ga. Filed Nov. 21, 1961, Ser. No.153,913 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-5) This invention relates generally toelectrical switches and more particularly to simultaneous positionswitches.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simultaneousposition switch ofiering positive and trouble free performance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simultaneousposition switch having a selector rod which selectively makes electricalcontact at the places required.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a simultaneous positionswitch bearing the above objects in mind which is of simpleconstruction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive tomanufacture and efiicient in operation and use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top elevational view thereof.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral represents asimultaneous position switch according to the present invention whereinthere is a case 11 of generally cylindrical configuration. The lowerportion of the outer cylindrical surface 12 is provided with a thread 13which is threadedly engaged with a mounting adaptor 14. The adaptor 14has a thread 15 on its outer side which is engageable with correspondingparts when mounting the present switch in a panel. The adaptor 14 isprovided with an outwardly extending flange 16, the underside of whichbears against the front face of the panel. The top end of the case isprovided with a wall 17 through which there extend a plurality ofcontact elements 18. A solder lug 19 is affixed to each of the saidcontact elements in order to attach an electrical wire 20 thereto. Thus,the top plate serves as a support plate for the contacts. A like numberof contact elements 21 extend through openings 22 within the supportplate. The outward ends of the contact elements are connected to wires23 as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing. A guide plate 24 is alfixed inpermanent position relative to the sides of the case and is providedwith a large central opening 25 and radially disposed openings 26,adjacent each of the openings 26 is a notch 27 within which the lowerend of the contact element 21 is placed.

A sliding contact element 28 extends upwardly through the opening 26,the sliding contact being in alignment with the contact 18 in thesupport plate. The contact element 28 is comprised of a longitudinalshank upon which collars 29 are fixed at its lower end and collars 30are allixed at an intermediate position. A spring 31 is located betweenthe collar 30 and the underside of the guide plate 24, the spring 31being in tension and normally urging the said movable contactdownwardly.

A yieldable spring 32 is afiixed to the interior side 33 of the case,the spring being in the path of travel of the collar 29, the springforming a stop for the collar when the same overrides the springupwardly.

Within the center of the case is a cylindrical element 33 slidablewithin said case and having an outwardly extending flange 34- integraltherewith. A compression coil spring 35 bears between the upper side ofthe flange and the lower edge of the case. The element 33 is providedwith a bottom wall 36 having an enlarged central opening 37 throughwhich there extends a selector rod 38. The upper end of the selector rod38 is provided with a 3 ,089,924 Patented May 14, 1963 flange 39 whichbears against the upper side of the opening 25 in the guide plate 24. Acollar 40 is rigidly affixed to the selector rod and a compression coilspring 41 beats between the upper side of the collar 40 and theunderside of the guide plate 24. A sidewardly projecting arm 42 ispermanently aflixed to the selector rod.

In operation the selector rod is rotated to the position desired andmoved upwardly. This causes the projecting arm 42 to depress the movablecontact 28 by bearing against the collar 29. Aflixed to the contactshank, upon being moved, the contact 28 engages contact 18. At thispoint the collar has overridden upwardly past the spring stop 32 and isreleasably held therebehind. The selector rod is returned to its normalposition again by means of the spring 41 bearing against the undersideof the guide plate 24. The contact is now complete between the wires 23and 20. To place the switch into the Off position again, selector rod isin the position indicated, the element 33 is depressed. This forces theupper edge of the element 33 to bear against the spring clip stop 32forcing the same toward the wall, thereby permitting the collar 29 oncontact 28 to be returned downwardly due to the action of the coilspring 31. The element 33 is then returned downwardly again due to theaction of the coil spring 35 against the flange 34.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a simultaneous position switch the combination of a case ofcylindrical configuration, the lower portion of said cylinder beingthreaded and an adaptor threadedly secured thereto, the upper end ofsaid cylinder comprising a support plate, a plurality of contactsdisposed in circular arrangement and extending through said supportplate, solder lugs aflixed to each of said contacts on the upper surfaceof said support plate, a plurality of movable contacts below saidcontacts mounted in said sup port plate, each of said movable contactselectrically connected to a plurality of upstanding contacts, saidupstanding contacts extending upwardly through. said support plate inconcentric arrangement respective to first said contact, said firstcontact and said movable contacts being in alignment with each other andan internal cylindrical element slidable within the first said cylinder,said cylinder element having a central opening in a bottom wall thereof,said upper cylinder, support plate having a guide plate therebelow, acentral opening in said guide plate, a longitudinally extending selectorrod extending through said openings in said guide plate bottom wall ofsaid inner cylinder element, said selector rod being rotatable andhaving an outwardly extending arm for urging upwardly any preselectedmovable contact for engagement with first said contacts in said supportplate.

2. In a simultaneous position switch the combination as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said selector rod has an outwardly extending flangeadjacent its upper edge and above said opening in said guide plate acollar affixed around said selector rod at a point between the oppositeends thereof a compression coil spring between the upper side of saidcollar and the lower side of said guide plate.

3. In a simultaneous position switch the combination as set forth inclaim 2 wherein each of said movable contacts comprises a longitudinallyextending shank extending through openings in said guide plate, a collaraffixed to said shank near its lower edge, a second collar aflixed tosaid shank at a point between opposite ends of said shank, the upper endof said shank having an enlarged head forming a contact, said enlargedhead being above the opening in said guide plate and a compression coilspring between the upper side of the latter said collar and the lowerside of said guide plate.

4. In a simultaneous position switch the combination as set forth inclaim 3 wherein the first said cylinder has a plurality of spring stopsafiixed to the interior sides thereof, said spring stops extending inthe path of said lower collar of said movable contact and said innercylinder element having an upper edge engageable with said spring stopsfor retraction thereof to release said movable contact, said innercylinder element being normally urged downwardly by means of acompression coil spring between the lower edge of the first saidcylinder and an outwardly extending flange afiixed to said innercylinder element.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS474,907 Greene May 17, 1892 1,499,236 McMillan June 24, 1924 102,163,069 Stringer June 20, 1939 2,722,573 Prank Nov. 1, 1955

1. IN A SIMULTANEOUS POSITION SWITCH THE COMBINATION OF A CASE OFCYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATIONM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CYLINDER BEINGTHREADED AND AN ADAPTOR THREADEDLY SECURED THERETO, THE UPPER END OFSAID CYLINDER COMPRISING A SUPPORT PLATE, A PLURALITY OF CONTACTSDISPOSED IN CIRCULAR ARRANGEMENT AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SUPPORTPLATE, SOLDER LUGS AFFIXED TO EACH OF SAID CONTACTS ON THE UPPER SURFACEOF SAID SUPPORT PLATE, A PLURALITY OF MOVABLE CONTACTS BELOW SAIDCONTACTS MOUNTED IN SAID SUPPORT PLATE, EACH OF SAID MOVABLE CONTACTSELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING CONTACTS, SAIDUPSTANDING CONTACTS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SUPPORT PLATE INCONCENTRIC ARRANGEMENT RESPECTIVE TO FIRST SAID CONTACT, SAID FIRSTCONTACT AND SAID MOVABLE CONTACTS BEING IN ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER ANDAN INTERNAL CYLINDRICAL ELEMENT SLIDABLE WITHIN THE FIRST SAID CYLINDER,SAID CYLINDER ELEMENT HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING IN A BOTTOM WALL THEREOF,SAID UPPER CYLINDER, SUPPORT PLATE HAVING A GUIDE PLATE THEREBELOW, ACENTRAL OPENING IN SAID GUIDE PLATE, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SELECTORROD EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS IN SAID GUIDE PLATE BOTTOM WALL OFSAID INNER CYLINDER ELEMENT, SAID SELECTOR ROD BEING ROTATABLE ANDHAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ARM FOR URGING UPWARDLY ANY PRESELECTEDMOVABLE CONTACT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH FIRST SAID CONTACTS IN SAID SUPPORTPLATE.